Hundreds honoured their village’s guardian spirits by holding a colourful centuries-old ceremony to pray for good fortune, rain and prosperity.
The He Neak Ta ritual has been celebrated annually for several hundred years by the villagers in Phum Boeung, about 25km northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
The ceremony, which has become increasingly rare in modern times, coincides with the onset of the summer monsoon as farmers prepare for planting rice.
Although most Cambodians are Buddhist, the ritual reflects a widespread faith in animism, the belief that spirits can inhabit all types of living and inanimate objects.
Villagers of all ages congregate about 2km from the local monastery dedicated to their guardian spirit.
The ragtag procession, including some participants travelling on motorbikes and even on horseback, slowly makes its way to the guardian spirit’s shrine.
There, villagers light incense sticks and offer various types of fruit, food, soft drinks and alcohol while praying for good fortune, adequate rain, prosperity and the prevention of disease within their community.
The half-day ceremony concludes with the spraying of holy water on the cheerful participants.
“I pray for enough rainfall with abundant rice production ... so that villagers would enjoy their harvest,” said one of the costumed marchers, 30-year-old driver Sim Pov. — AP
